Review of The Last Samurai (2003) by Peter A — 22 Feb 2014

I've always liked The Last Saumrai, but it's just never at the top of my list of movie's to watch. And I'm not sure why.

Everything about it is decent. Tom Cruise & Ken Watanabe give good performances, and play off each other well. The action & drama are well paced, and the story draws you in.

I think part of the problem is the movie chokes on its own self-righteousness. It's another stranger-in-a-strange-land movie, like Dances With Wolves or Avatar, where the main character is a dejected warrior from a supposedly more civilized nation who finds solace and familial ties as he integrates with a simpler, native culture, which maintains its heritage and balance with nature in the face of industrialization. Last Samurai tells this story well, but leans towards being pompous, preachy, and, in come scenes, melodramatic, in presenting its theme. This includes the final battle as the noble samurai go out in a blaze of glory during a last stand with the newly-trained, and Westernized, Japanese army.

And the point was....actually, that tends to get lost. Why are the samurai battling the Emperor's soldiers? To take a stand against corrosive Western influences in order to protect the nation's honor. Ok, sure, that sounds good. Bureaucratic corruption is bad. However, the movie seems to paint both sides in stark contrast. Modern diplomats and government types are inherently bad as they seek to expand their nations' influence, while the loyal, disciplined samurai, isolated in their village, are inherently good as they eschew modern trappings. The movie shows very little of the gray areas that more accurately reflect actual societies.

Regardless, as a movie, Last Samurai is pretty good. The drama, the score, the acting, etc. are all done well. And while I have the DVD, it's never my go-to choice for casual viewing.